Innu making canoes near Sheshatshiu, ca. 1920

Sheshatshiu 3Newfoundland and Labrador

With 1,633 residents, it is a First Nations reserve in Newfoundland and Labrador. The population fell 18% between 2016 and 2021.

Photo: Photo by Fred C. Sears. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada (PA-148593). · Public domain

Population

1,633

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns: 49.4

Postsecondary

31%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Sheshatshiu 3 a good place to live?

Where it does best is hazard risk (A+). Police record more crime here than in most towns (D−). It lags on health as well (D).

Sheshatshiu 3 is a First Nations reserve, so it has no overall grade and no place in ranked lists: Statistics Canada suppresses or doesn’t collect much of a reserve’s data, and its grades couldn’t be set fairly beside other towns’.

Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestA⁺Hazard riskWeakestD⁻Safety DHealth

How Sheshatshiu 3 grades

Each subject compares Sheshatshiu 3 with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

SafetyGraded on crime per residentD⁻Open →Hazard riskNatural hazards pose little risk hereA⁺Open →HealthAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁻Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsThe schools grade is left out in Newfoundland and Labrador, as the province publishes no results school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Sheshatshiu 3 stand out

The 3 things Sheshatshiu 3 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 6% are 65 or over

For the middle of Canadian towns, 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

26% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

42% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

31% have a postsecondary qualification

Next to 56%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sheshatshiu 3.

SafetySafety D⁻

Violent crime weighs more where Sheshatshiu 3 is policed than in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 940

817Crime Severity Index

Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Sheshatshiu detachment area

Property crime in the area its police cover: 637.9 per 1,000 people a year. Violent incidents in its police area came to 195.4 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (16.7) and Canadian towns (12).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023763

2024778

2025910

2023–2025	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Crime Severity Index	817	81	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	940	82	86
Violent crime	195.4	16.7	12
Property crime per 1,000	637.9	34.8	31.2

774

non-violent Crime Severity Index

24%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety817 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Sheshatshiu 3’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Sheshatshiu 3 safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁺

Sheshatshiu 3 faces fewer hazards than 98% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandA⁺Hazard risk Grade

The radon tests numbers here cover the Labrador-Grenfell Regional Integrated Health Auth health region

Little of the land around Sheshatshiu 3 has burned: 1.9% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.05% a year. Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 3% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Sheshatshiu 33%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	3%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.008	$0.011	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

20 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · 1.9% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.008 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon3% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Climate

Sheshatshiu 3 has colder winters than Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −21.7°C

21.2°CJuly afternoons

Summer highs average 21.2°C in July, near Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (21.2°C) and lower than Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 3 June, and the first in autumn, 24 September, lie 112 days. A normal January brings 75 cm of snow, the most of any month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−10.0°C

Spring3.7°C

Summer19.8°C

Autumn7.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Snowfall a year	406 cm	363 cm	141 cm
January night low	−21.7°C	−8.7°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	21.2°C	21.2°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	206	171	159

406 cm

of snow a year

206

days with frost a year

112

frost-free days, 3 Jun to 24 Sep

132

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.2°C, January lows −21.7°C Rain and snow938 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow406 cm of snow a year Weather station29 km to the station · Goose

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Goose)

HealthHealth D

Sheshatshiu 3’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 4.4 years: life expectancy 77.1

60%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Labrador-Grenfell Zone

Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 21% of the region’s adults on average, between Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (17%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 19% of adults, against 15% for Newfoundland and Labrador. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 60%, ahead of the 52% for Newfoundland and Labrador. Measured from where Sheshatshiu 3’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 28 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Sheshatshiu 360%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Very good or excellent health	60%	50%	52%
Smokers	19%	15%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	77.1	78.6	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	21%	22%	17%

77.1

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

28 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

19%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

27 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey60% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care28 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 27 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.2, men 74.6 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

More of Sheshatshiu 3’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: 95%

27median age

Visible minorities make up 0.8% of the population, below both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (1.2%) and Canadian towns (15%).

Sheshatshiu 3Newfoundland and LabradorCanada

Newfoundland and LabradorCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

30%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree44%

Postsecondary qualification31%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 54.1% of Sheshatshiu 3

560 men and 660 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Sheshatshiu 3
	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Under 15	30%	13%	16%
15 to 64	64%	61%	64%
65+	6.1%	26%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	44%	21%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	31%	53%	56%

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages27 median age · 6% are 65 or over Households340 households · 3.6 people per household English and French0.4% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Weather

A normal November in Sheshatshiu 3 runs from −7°C to freezing

0°Ca normal November afternoon

Across the year, normals run from −22°C nights in January to 21°C afternoons in July. Snow is normal by November, about 52 cm over the month. November normally sees 75 mm of precipitation. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Happy Valley-Goose Bay forecast.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November0°C

December−7°C

January−12°C

February−10°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−10°C	−20°C	185 mm
Spring	4°C	−7°C	197 mm
Summer	20°C	9°C	307 mm
Autumn	8°C	−1°C	249 mm

−7°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Goose); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Sheshatshiu 3’s MP is Philip Earle (Liberal Party of Canada), for Labrador

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

No public library stands in Sheshatshiu 3: the closest, Melville Public Library, is 27 km away

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Sheshatshiu 3 is 36 km from Akami-Uapishku - Kakkasuak - Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

0%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Sheshatshiu 30%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	1	4

36 km

to Akami-Uapishku - Kakkasuak - Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas0 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks36 km to a national park · Akami-Uapishku - Kakkasuak - Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Trips to work from Sheshatshiu 3 are shorter than from Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: 16 min on average

8%walk, cycle or take transit

87% of commuters took the car to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van87%

Walk8%

Census 2021	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Average trip	16 min	19 min	26 min
Car or van	87%	92%	89%

$88,000

median household income, 2020

13%

worked from home, May 2021

39%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment26% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to95 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

Schools

Around Sheshatshiu 3, 2 schools for every grade: 2 schools in all

2schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Lake Melville SchoolIn Sheshatshiu 3All grades	All grades	–	English public

See all 2 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Sheshatshiu 3	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
School boards	2	1	3

0.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSheshatshiu 3’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school2 schools for every grade Language0 of 2 teach in French · 2% of schools in Newfoundland and Labrador The boards2 school boards · NLESD - Labrador Region Questions“What schools are there in Sheshatshiu 3?”

Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · In Newfoundland and Labrador, no schools grade. The province publishes no results school by school.

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Sheshatshiu 3

15pages on Sheshatshiu 3

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 817 Housing & costProperty pricesSchools2 schools within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 77.1 in its region Work & commuteB⁻42% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 21°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 27 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Sheshatshiu 3

First Nations reserve in Newfoundland and Labrador

The reserve is its own census subdivision in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the figures for Sheshatshiu 3 cover the whole of it.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,633 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division: Division No. 10
First Nation: Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Census subdivision: 1010802

Questions about Sheshatshiu 3

Is Sheshatshiu 3 growing?

It went from 1,500 people in 2016 to 1,225 in 2021, down 18.3%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 1,633.

What kind of homes are in Sheshatshiu 3?

96% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 3.6 people; 7% are one person living alone.

Is Sheshatshiu 3 a young town or an old one?

Half its people are older than 27 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 30%, people 65 and over 6%.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).